The end of the aisles: Readers get nostalgic as British Council’s physical library bids adieu in Chennai

Long empty shelves that once transported a million people of Chennai to a billion worlds stand erect in time. The halls that once sang the quiet melody of a declining art now look like empty structures. The British Council Library in Chennai, an iconic landmark that academics, scholars, students, bibliophiles and other literati thronged to over the decades, is bidding adieu to its physical form as part of the UK organisation’s move to digitalise its services. As of today, the British Council has operational physical spaces only in Delhi and Kolkata.

Janaka Pushpanathan, Director South India, British Council, says the transition is to ensure resources are used where they can make the greatest difference, and that the organisation now focuses on sustainable models to scale impact. “In recent years, audience expectations around flexibility and access have shifted strongly towards digital platforms. Globally, over 160,000 members use our digital library resources, and in India, 50,000 members across 190+ cities and 23 states now access services online, allowing us to reach far beyond metro centres,” she adds.

It is not just the library that will be missed; the British Council will vacate its 737 Anna Salai premises by March, with operations moving online until it relocates to a new space.

THE HINDU ARCHIVES: British Council Library in 1990, Chennai.
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THE HINDU ARCHIVES

The British Council was established in Chennai in 1948. “What began as a traditional reference and lending library gradually became a vibrant cultural and learning hub, hosting conversations, workshops, exhibitions and language learning initiatives,” says Janaka.

When I met him at the library, CS Venkataramanan stood at the entrance, hands to his hips, studying the empty hall that once held his evenings, as if waiting for the library to recognise him. “I am coming here after 10 years, and all the memories from the old days are flashing through my mind. In the evenings, after office, and sometimes, even before shift hours, I would come here,” says the 68-year-old retired Assistant Commissioner at the Ministry of Finance. Venkataramanan first visited the library in 1980, when he was working as an auditor in the city. “The digital boom hadn’t happened. There were only physical books available. The library had a different atmosphere back then, and it wasn’t as big,” he reminisces.

FILE: Students at the British Council Library in Chennai on February 10, 2010.
| Photo Credit:
THANTHONI S

The library has young fans, too. 26-year-old lawyer Vanathi Panneerselvam first visited the library for the British Council’s English as a Secondary Language course. “We would be brought here to give our exams. We had a speaking test and listening test; after finishing the exame, people would come out and talk. The space had this old-world charm, even back when I was 13-14 years old; it had a payphone that I would use to call my parents to come and pick me up after my session.”

What truly sets the library apart, Janaka says, is the trust that readers like Vanathi and Venkataramanan place in it. “For decades, readers knew they would find thoughtfully curated, high-quality UK and international content, from contemporary literature and academic resources to language learning materials – all in one place. Beyond its collection, the library also functioned as a cultural hub – a place where reading met conversation, ideas met people, and learning extended beyond books,” she says, adding that such quality curation is the unique feature that can be attributed to the popularity of the British Council libraries over the years.

24-year-old Prasanna Venkatesh recollects the times he used to spend at the lawn outside the library or the cafeteria after the classes he attended as part of a summer programme. “I would be there waiting for my parents to pick me up. To find a place like that in the city is rare….somewhere you can get some calm. It’s almost a separate world by itself.”

FILE: The British Council Library in Chennai on 14-03-2007
| Photo Credit:
R Shivaji Rao

Venkarataraman, a voracious reader, used to read thrillers of authors like Frederick Forsyth and John le Carré, motivational books and spiritual guides at the library. However, he particularly misses the library’s newspaper collections. “I was predominantly interested in catching up on what’s on the political front. Besides local newspapers, I used to read international newspapers. Those newspapers used to have some 100 pages back then.”

Vanathi remembers picking up one of her first novels, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, at the library when she was 12 or 13. “It was quite interesting to read about shipwrecks and so on. But the library actually had a brilliant Reader’s Digest collection, and I remember reading those.”

Janaka says that the library was initially popular for medical and engineering book collections from the UK. “As reading habits and access models evolved, so did our focus – expanding to contemporary arts, literature, culture and interdisciplinary thinking. That ability to evolve while keeping readers at the centre has been key to its long-standing relevance.”

FILE: Children browsing internet and playing games at British Council in Chennai on July 01, 2006.
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GANESAN V

Prasanna, who attended a summer programme the organisation held at the library, shares how supportive and kind the faculty at the British Council were to the kids. “They didn’t treat us as kids. That’s probably the reason why I really like their equation with me. I could see a contrast between our school teachers and the people there — they would really pay attention to what we say, spend time talking to us, or explain things.” He was thrilled when a faculty member remembered him from another course. “It’s just so weird because they meet so many people, but still they remembered and stopped to greet me. I remember very clearly as if it happened yesterday.” Vanathi says she found the digital collection of academic articles most useful. “It still exists. You get a subscription to access a lot of these articles and international journals.”

For Janaka, the library was not just about the books, “It was about journeys beginning, confidence growing, horizons opening. That spirit of access and aspiration is what I treasure most.” She stresses that her strongest memory is not tied to walls or shelves, “but to possibility, and that remains unchanged. The format may have changed, but the mission remains the same — to carry forward that spirit of opening doors to knowledge and connection.”

FILE: The British Council library in Chennai on 10/02/2010
| Photo Credit:
THANTHONI S

Now that the physical library is coming to a close and the premises will be relocated soon, Prasanna wishes he had spent more time there. “Or, maybe took advantage of it more. I haven’t come back since the courses ended, and I feel bad. It was a place we could rely on for certain things. Even when they showed certain films in school and when we couldn’t access them online we could go to the library and pick them up. To lose a place that is an integral part of my childhood does feel bitter. It was a place where I met people with different values. So that was like an opening into another world for me. It will always remain special.” Venkataramanan, too, echoes this. “I was disappointed because it’s located in a central place in the city. Anybody could access it, and now, because of the Metro rail service, it has become even more accessible.” Vanathi hopes to take her young cousins to visit the library one last time.

“The messages and memories everyone has shared are deeply moving,” reflects Janaka, adding that these responses speak for the long-standing relationship the British Council has built with communities across South India over many decades. It is true that, as Janaka says, the shift to digital will help the organisation take its acclaimed library services to more people.

But the fact remains that while the library will continue to exist, it would not be the same to those who have gained more than just what the books had to offer — memories, the ones that are deeply tied to a place. And in the 78 years since its inception, these walls have seen more smiles and tears than you and I could in a lifetime. For that and more, we bid our goodbye.

The British Council Library’s digital-only model will come into effect on March 31, 2026, and members will have access to the physical library until February 15, 2026. All books at the British Council’s book sale at the Chennai library have been sold, and the sale period is closed. The book sale has been an ‘annual value-added feature’ offered to members.